Check out this message from transportation secretary Mary Peters announcing the new website from DOT, which seems to lay out a future of user fees to fund the highway system under the premise that more hybrid cars (or even hydrogen replacements, air cars, etc) would greatly reduce the contributions to the gas tax funding method. It's a legitimate concern.
But it's something that if not done correctly will spark fear and conspiracies, especially when they talk about using RFD chips in vehicles to track usage so they can be tolled in "congestion pricing" corridors and such. The government would do well to tread lightly moving forward.
For example, here in Tennessee we've been watching as they erect overhead message boards along the interstates with other equipment on poles. Yes, it's probably for disseminating traffic, weather and safety information, but the PR campaign has been lacking, which invites speculation. I snapped a picture recently..
It's blank, and ripe for Photo-shopping. How about, "welcome to Memphis, we hope you don't get shot." Think the Chamber of Commerce would go for it?
Anyway, using a fee-for-service method isn't necessarily bad, although liberals will complain it's regressive, putting undue burden on poor drivers. Private pilots have used a similar argument (although few are poor), saying user fees would mainly benefit the deeper pocketed airlines. But these things can be worked out in due course. The bigger concern is the idea of tracking vehicle movements, for obvious reasons.
3 comments:
We have those signs here. They notify us of construction, wrecks, and "No-Zone Action days (when the air quality is poor, therefore we shouldn't refuel of drive anymore than necessary, kind of thing).
Funny you should mention the "welcome to Memphis, hope you don't get shot" message. Here in Indy we have had one of the worst summers for homicides, with one last night. Maybe we could borrow that phrase, it certainly would be appropriate.
Well, I'd like to take credit for it, but it's being made popular by a local radio talk show host when he welcomes a new caller, 'thanks for calling, glad you haven't been shot'.
Yeah, I don't think the signs are sinister, it's the idea of tracking chips for tabulating taxes that's a little unnerving. But they have to do something if we're going to ween ourselves off gasoline on down the road (pardon the pun).
Beware toll roads! If they tell you that once the cost is paid, they'll recind the tolls, they are lying, even if they say if with a straight face.
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